How a Wisconsin School District Transformed Community Engagement Through Strategic Social Media
What happens when a superintendent treats storytelling as seriously as budgeting? In just two years, one rural school district doubled its monthly social media reach from 11,000 to 23,000 people – all without spending a fortune on marketing!
Dr. Vince Breunig has been the superintendent of the School District of Lodi in Wisconsin for six years, but his passion for communication and storytelling spans his entire 31-year career in education. Located 25 minutes northwest of Madison, this rural district serves approximately 1,500 students and has become a shining example of how strategic communication can transform a school community!
Dr. Vince Breunig, Superintendent of the School District of Lodi
Like many superintendents, Vince wears multiple hats. But he’s particularly passionate about his unofficial title: Chief Communicator. He shared:
“My job is to tell everybody what’s great that’s going on in our district and to remind our staff and our community how great our district is and all the great things that are going on.”
And when you meet Vince, it becomes immediately apparent that this philosophy isn’t just talk. It’s woven into the very fabric of how Lodi operates, from the district’s strategic planning process to its daily social media posts!
Communication as a Strategic Priority
What sets Lodi apart from many districts is that communication isn’t an afterthought. The leadership team has literally built it into the strategic plan as one of five key pillars. Vince takes this responsibility seriously, implementing what he calls a “balanced scorecard” that ensures accountability and consistency.
We don’t just put our strategic plan on a shelf. Communication is part of our strategic plan, so my job as an administrator is to implement it. We put together district and building scorecards that lay out specific strategies we’re going to use.
One of those strategies has proven to be revolutionary! Lodi requires staff members to submit content, which ensures all buildings and programs are represented consistently. Here’s how it works:
“Each building puts together a social media calendar where somebody’s required to send content. Teachers are so busy! If we wait until ‘when I have time I’ll do it,’ it won’t get done. It has to be scheduled.”
The process works differently in each building but follows the same principle. For example, the middle school might rotate by grade level; seventh grade submits one week, eighth grade the next. Or departments take turns at the high school. The key is consistency and shared responsibility.
But what happens with all of those content submissions? Even though Vince considers himself the Chief Communicator, he knows that he can’t do the job 100% alone. He isn’t the one posting on the district’s Facebook and Instagram accounts multiple times, every weekday!
Vince discovered #SocialSchool4EDU in 2019 and decided to partner with its School Social Media Management program. Every submitted photo and video is sent to one school email address, which Tori Skiff monitors as the School Account Manager for Lodi.
Tori Skiff, #SS4EDU School Account Manager
Tori loves partnering with this district and appreciates Vince’s approach to leadership:
Lodi will always hold a special place in my heart—not only because it was the first district I had the privilege to support, but also because it reminds me so much of the small-town community where I grew up. I could go on all day about the incredible vision Vince is bringing to life within their schools and the positive impact it’s having across the district. Everyone there is so wonderful to work with.
Secrets to Capturing Authentic Classroom Moments
When it comes to content submissions, some of the most engaging have been right inside the classroom. Vince leads by example, spending every Wednesday morning in classrooms taking pictures and notes. His goal each year is to visit every classroom at least once, and he typically sends three to four social media submissions to Tori after each Wednesday walkthrough.
Vince shared: “The most important thing that happens every day is in our classroom. We don’t want to just publicize everything else going on outside; we need to celebrate where the magic actually happens.”
Here are just a handful of examples that show the real-life learning happening at Lodi, both inside and outside the classroom walls:
Building Relationships Through Creative Storytelling
Vince is committed to building authentic relationships with students and the community, and he proves it with his annual back-to-school videos. These creative productions have become must-watch events for the entire community.
The tradition began over a decade ago with a simple “Happy” video, but evolved into the now-famous “Guardians of Lodi Pride” series. These videos, which cost less than $1,500 to produce, sometimes involve the entire student body and showcase the fun, creative spirit of the district.
Kids love them, too!
“One of the unexpected benefits is that every kid in school now knows who I am. “Before, when I’d walk through the primary school, kids would be like, ‘Who are you?’ Now they’re like, ‘You’re that guy!'”
These annual videos serve multiple purposes:
- Generate excitement for the new school year
- Showcase school pride
- Demonstrate that education can be both serious and joyful!
As a bonus, these videos consistently generate high engagement on social media.
From Tori’s perspective, this underscores the overall culture at Lodi:
I value the strong sense of belonging and mutual respect that comes with working alongside the staff in Lodi. There is a genuine, positive culture within the School District of Lodi that is truly special and not something you find everywhere.
Systematic Staff Recognition Impacts Culture
Vince understands that intentional staff recognition isn’t just nice-to-have; it’s absolutely essential for retention and morale. But Lodi’s approach goes beyond occasional praise; they’ve systematized celebration in a way that creates lasting culture change.
“We talk about staff retention, and we can’t outpay our neighbors. So we have to find other ways to make staff feel welcome and acknowledged. Being a teacher is really hard, so we need to celebrate that.”
Using the NFL as his model, Vince encourages his team to “celebrate everything.” Just as football players celebrate every yard gained because it’s difficult, educators should celebrate the daily victories in teaching because educating children is equally challenging.
And social media has become a powerful tool for public recognition. Not only do the teachers feel appreciated and proud, but the community also responds with their own praise and memories.
Recognition Post for Ms. Griffing
Appreciation Post for High School Teacher Assistants
“Staff love it when I acknowledge them, but they really love it when the community acknowledges them. Former parents, community members, even former students will comment about how great a staff member is. It just helps fill that bucket.”
This culture of recognition has become self-perpetuating. When Vince earned his doctorate, he wasn’t planning to publicize it. But a teacher who had been highlighted multiple times on social media called the district office to insist it be shared. The post generated a ton of positive feedback and reached thousands in the community.
Post about Vince Earning His Doctorate
Tori Skiff, who manages the social media accounts behind the scenes, shared how much the Lodi community cares about its school district:
What I enjoy most about working with the School District of Lodi is the strong sense of community. Lodi truly feels like a family – supportive, connected, and proud. Whether it’s grandparents, parents, local businesses, or alumni, people consistently show up for this district in meaningful ways. Every post, whether it’s a simple snapshot of playground smiles or a celebration of state-bound athletes, is met with heartfelt engagement that reflects how deeply this community cares for its students and staff. The way Lodi consistently shines through with pride and support is truly inspiring.
Measurable Community Engagement Leads to Organic Word-of-Mouth Marketing
All of these efforts on social media are yielding impressive results. Before implementing its strategic communication plan, Lodi’s average monthly social media reach was around 11,000 people. But now, with consistent, intentional storytelling, that number has more than doubled to 23,000 people every month!
In a district of 1,500 students, this reach obviously extends far beyond current families. Posts are engaging alumni, community members, and potential residents. All of this authentic, organic buzz amounts to word-of-mouth marketing, which impacts student recruitment and staff retention.
“Word of mouth is the most powerful way to market today! But we can’t leave it to chance that our families and community know all the great things going on. We have to share our story because if we don’t, other people will tell it for us.”
A Model for Strategic School Communication
Lodi School District proves that effective school communication doesn’t require unlimited resources or a large staff. All it takes is a leader – backed by a team – that makes communication a strategic priority and implements systems that ensure consistency. By treating storytelling as seriously as curriculum or budgeting, Lodi has created a community that understands, celebrates, and advocates for its schools.
Vince’s advice for other districts is simple:
You’ve got to share your story or other people will tell it for you. If something bad happens, people are going to revert back to their own school experiences unless you’re overwhelming them with positive things happening now. We need to make sure we’re showing the great work being done in public schools across this country.
In Lodi, that great work is being shared – one classroom moment, one video, and one celebration at a time!
Would you like to learn more about #SocialSchool4EDU’s social media management service? Click here to schedule a chat with Andrea Gribble!
